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thehomelessguy [AT] gmail dot com
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Homeless News- Homelessness czar Mangano now with nonprofit - San Francisco Chronicle December 1, 2009
- Activist's Web site, tweets put new face on homelessness - CNN International December 1, 2009
- Homeless Tent Cities In Colorado Springs Grow - KRDO December 1, 2009
- Grant to Provide $1.1 Million for Sioux Falls Homeless - KSFY December 2, 2009
- $7.5 million to keep a roof over their heads - Washington Post December 1, 2009
- Homeless father Charles Green has one wish for the holidays: A home for his ... - New York Daily News December 1, 2009New York Daily NewsHomeless father Charles Green has one wish for the holidays: A home for his ...New York Daily News"I don't want them waking up on Christmas in a shelter," said Green, 35, a single dad from Bushwick who has been homeless with his kids since May. ...
- State Announces More Than $17 Million In Homeless Assistance Grant Awards - RealEstateRama December 1, 2009
- Hundreds of homeless people live in community - Sandy Post December 2, 2009Sandy PostHundreds of homeless people live in communitySandy Post“It's really hard to keep a tent dry,” said Billy, one of Sandy's 300 homeless people. “And you're always worrying about the cops coming. ...
- Project Homeless Connect brings all services to one place - Belleville News Democrat December 1, 2009
- Des Moines Realtors assist homeless youths - DesMoinesRegister.com December 1, 2009
- Homeless Blogging
- Lincoln puts $1.4 million toward battling homelessness « - College ...As Homeless and Hunger Awareness Month drew to a close, Lincoln Mayor Chris Beutler announced $1.4 million in funding to help create a new program for Lincoln's homeless and near-homeless… ...admin
- WHEELIE cATHOLIC: Activist brings attention to homelessnessMark Horvath was homeless himself fourteen years ago, but found himself looking away from those on the street once he got back on his own feet. He decided to change that by using social media to film people he met and tell their stories ...Wheelie Catholic
- Stories from the Ranch | End Homelessness | Change.orgFor eight years, he has operated a residential sobriety program on his 72-acre ranch in San Luis Obispo. While many formerly homeless addicts credi... read more of this post, Stories from the Ranch, at Change.org.Mark Horvath
- About Homelessness: Housing as Medicine for HIV/AIDS - About HOPWAAccess to housing assistance and services is often further complicated by histories of incarceration, institutionalization, and homelessness. HOPWA housing assistance helps prevent homelessness and creates access to medical care and ...Catherine
- Web site puts face on homelessness | IPZAPPERFourteen years ago, Mark Horvath was living on the streets. Today he's a sought-after speaker whose tweets and Web video interviews with homeless people have.Andy
- Stay sober and survive! | Max Weller on homelessnessYou would think that every homeless person would understand that winter weather can be life-threatening at times, and it's vital to stay sober in order to use the available resources here in Boulder, CO to survive. ...Max
- Housing Matters blog » Activist helps put new face on homelessness ...Activist helps put new face on homelessness. Posted Dec 1, 2009 at 11:05 am by Craig Bailey. CNN segment on Mark Horvath, a former television executive and homeless man, who has established a Web site to let homeless people tell their ...Craig Bailey
- Web site puts face on homelessness » UPLIFT2007.ORGFourteen years ago, Mark Horvath was living on the streets. Today he's a sought-after speaker whose tweets and Web video interviews with homeless people have called attention to a growing problem. For the World Wide Web to be truly ...admin
- In The Atlantic: Rhode Island's Homelessness Trouble - Not For NothingRhode Island's struggles with unemployment and homelessness continue to land in the national press. The latest account, on The Atlantic's web site, personalizes the issue with a look at a newly homeless young father: ...David Scharfenberg
- The Great Recession and giving… Overhead and effectiveness… DC ...“The District will begin disbursing about $7.5 million in federal stimulus money this week” to battle homelessness. (WaPo, 12/1) - Homeless Advocate Welcomes New Housing Money but with Reservations (WAMU, 12/1) ...nick geisinger
- Lincoln puts $1.4 million toward battling homelessness « - College ...
- Homeless Tales
- On Doubt November 27, 2009Some days, I just don’t know if I can do this. I get lost in the minutiae of trying to organize agendas, calendars, dates, webpages, workarounds, emotional crisis, learning musical parts and generally trying to keep this leaky ship from capsizing on the rock of its own dysfunctions. I admire Jack Tafari. He shepherded Dignity Village from [...]MetisRebel
- Square Pegs, Round Holes And Thanksgiving November 26, 2009“If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is ‘thank you,’ it will be enough.” ~ Meister Eckhart ~ Thanksgiving, here in the U.S., is a national opportunity to express those things that we are grateful for on a daily basis. Despite not being with family or friends on this particular holiday, I have [...]Rev Cynthia
- TigerSoop - Stir Carefully November 23, 2009They've earned respect and I won't let anyone take it away. I talk with them all the time about not letting others' set up an agenda that denigrates their hard work--even if it's just some guy who wants to play guitar with them and plays badly--if it's public, refuse it. You worked for it and they can, too. If they don't--they […]MetisRebel
- The Daily Dance of Going Nowhere November 23, 2009On the other side of expensive vacation rentals, the ocean is an edge of darkness dotted with lights from invisible boats in the distance. Parked at the end of the continent, I am feeling the terrible weight of my stark life. No one can know, really, in all truth, how I got here. It has [...]Kerry Echo
- Ooooo Mr. Burns, Feel The LOVE! November 22, 2009"So we have our tea and cookies, yap about the problem we all know existed for the last ten years, figure out how to make a buck off it and then step over the body of the person that died while we were all busy 'discussing' his problems for him, instead of going out and grabbing him a place to live so we DON'T have to step over him on the […]MetisRebel
- On Doubt November 27, 2009
- The Homeless Guy Podcast
- The Introduction November 27, 2009 thehomelessguy
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Hi Kevin,
This has been interesting reading. I have known my share of homeless people and the ones I have met prefer that life to something else, I’m still puzzled by that concept.
I’ve always want to take in or help stabilize a homeless person, but there is always the fear of being victimized in some way that comes with the thought. So until I bump into someone that needs help that convinces me that I can trust them I will continue to give to the church hoping they can do the job better than I have been able to on my own.
Kind of sad though, I’ve been blessed with a good job and a stable life, I’d like to share it to help but find that to be an elusive goal.
Decidedly single and staying that way, just want to offer temporary sanctuary to get someone on their feet.
Good luck in everything you do.
Cheers from sunny Florida.
Hey homeless guy,
I just subscribed to your blog!
I just finished a workshop with at risk youth (here is my blog http://citizen.nfb.ca/blogs/author/lisa/), and stumbled upon your blog.
Many of the youth live or have lived on the street and they generously made a short video about their story. It was an intense time…
I look forward to delving further into your writings…
cheers, lisa
Hi Kevin,
Nice blog! I just posted a blog of my own on the subject that you have dedicated yours too. I’d be curious as to whether or not you feel as though I touched on the right topics and got it right?
Please let me know what you think.
http://www.jojoinparadise.blogspot.com
Hello Kevin,
You need to get a life AND a pit bull. I don’t know where you got your statistics. I suspect you made them up. Pit bulls were bred to fight other dogs, period. ANY dog will attack a human being, if provoked. The miniature breeds (Poms and Shih Tzus) are among the worst, but pit bulls get all the flack because of their size and people’s ignorance. Our pug once bloodied the nose of our daughter when she tried to take a bone away from him. If he had been a pit bull, I suppose the authorities at the hospital would have informed the animal control officers, who might have impounded him. We live in Prince George’s County, MD, which is one of the strongest breed-specific-legislation (BSL) counties in the country. It’s a wrongheaded law, meant, I suppose, to stop illegal dog-fighting. BSL is not the way to go on this. Get some facts before you go off on your next tangent.
Hello Kevin,
My name is Dave and I also am homeless,I have a bike and trailer with all my belonging, an online friend of mine told me about your site and I think its great what you are doing, taking the time out of your day telling others of our fight to find somewhat of a normal life.
some dont understand that it’s real hard to be homeless,I to have no alcohol or drug addictions, mine are internet freeroll poker and cigs, I fish alot to feed myself and work when I can. I got to say it’s hard to find a good spot with wifi, but here in Cali,on the coast I go down the bike paths on the beach after dusk and find 1 or 2 and surf the net till the battery is down to 10% and then I go to camp after that, I have a solor charger for my laptop and cell phone(it’s a prepaid card phone)so people I have worked for can call me or I get jobs on creig’s list in the gig’s section Darn I’m babeling sorry anyway nice work and if you just want to talk to someone that now whats it’s like email me at hitechomeless at yahoo dot com…..later Dave
HUD and depression/anxiety
I live in subsidized housing, maybe that is a solution for some people, I pay just $50 a month to live in an apartment through Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Maybe there are not any HUD apartments open in larger cities, but in smaller towns there are many still open that only cost $50 a month if your income is really low like mine.
To homeless guy: I have lost two jobs because of my social anxiety and depression. Maybe you could work as a telemarketer or work at home kind of job to b able to stay away from people, you could take medication (I took trazadone, a sleeping pill, in the day time just to bring down my anxiety some) or therapy like the Lucinda Basset program, or counseling through the state with a state paid for psychitrist, or hypnosis, or right now I am doing birth order therapy with this guy named Cliff Isaacson, who is on the internet as are his books. Another solution could be to wear sunglasses so that others cannot see your eyes, this could take away a lot of your social anxiety because others won’t be able to really see into your eyes so you can keep that social disconnect when in social situations.
just wanted to let you know that I really enjoy your blog. it’s amazing to hear your words and experiences. thanks for sharing your thoughts and heart for the world to read.
Kevin -
Thank you very much for highlighting my post “Truth and Truthiness” from my blog “Necessary Therapy” (http://pistolpete.wordpress.com) I tried to make a comment on it, but was unable to.
You’ve got a great site here, and a great story in your life. May God bless and keep you always.
Do you know about http://www.homelesspower.org/ in Nashville?
I haven’t read all of your entries (in fact, I just discovered your blog tonight) so don’t know if you are a church goer but there is a Rev. Rosemary Brown who pastors 2 downtown Nashville churches and she’s awesome.
Happy Birthday Kevin! This was my dad’s birthday too.
I would say many Christians do not WANT to know the poor. Writing a check is easy. I heard somewhere that instead of talking about the poor we should talk to them. I agree, Shain Claiborne is great. I heard him speak and watched a dvd of him and Tony Campolo talking to each other. Here are 2 people who understand what Jesus was about. Jesus did not hang out with or seek out the wealthy. He was homeless and associated with the poor, the shunned, the lepers, etc. I brought a homeless friend to church last Sun. to sing. It was great.
Here’s what I did. Returned to the church this morning around 6:30 as the guests were getting ready to leave for the day. Found the man and asked him where he would buy new work shoes if he had the money. He said, “Wal Mart.” I just stopped at Wal Mart, a store I don’t really like because of the right-wing agenda of its owners, and got a gift card, which I will give to the man tonight. Problem is solved.
Still can’t figure out how to reply to specific posts. I wanted to add a comment to your Jan 4 post about Day Two on the job. Well, I can’t, so here goes:
This week our church is running a cold weather shelter. Church members and others, such as scout troops, have been providing some scrumptious evening meals—homemade lasagna, turkey with homemade gravy, spaghetti, chili, ham, mashed potatoes, garlic bread, salad, brownies, ice cream, pie, cookies. I’ve been working in the kitchen all week, so haven’t had much time to talk to the guests.
Last night as I was leaving, one of the guests (a man about 60) tole me he needed new work shoes, He showed me his. They were worn out, and so were his sneakers. He said that every time he manages to walk to the thrift store, “them Spanish folks” have already been there and bought up all the good stuff. He can never find any work shoes. I asked him what a new pair would cost. He said about $30. How can I give $30 to him but be sure that he spends it for the shoes? Perhaps I can ask him tonight where he’d go to buy new shoes if he had the money and then get a gift certificate for him from that store. If I knew him better, I’d just give him the $30,
I read this in “Irresistible Revolution” by Shane Claiborne and wanted to share it with you. I highly recommend the book as well.
“The great tragedy in the church is not that rich Christians do not care about the poor, but that rich Christians do not KNOW the poor.”
I pray that one day we will all KNOW the poor (in spirit and in economical state)
your blog is great!
helo im crystal if you are intrested you can look at my blog and maybe comment it is http://www.s8220365.wordpress.com go and have a look.
[...] This is actually part of step 1, as described. These days you can get on the Web in a library, homeless people blog, and I’m guessing that even very low-income people can and do check email. Especially if you [...]
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Hi, I just happened to runn across your website and it is very helpful indeed. I am homeless and have been for the last 6 months I am currently in Houston, TX and am trying very so hard to get back to North Carolina. I have tried looking up travelers aid and can not find anything useful If you can be of any assistance it would be greatly appreciated
Khadejah A. Bullock
Thank you Lyda. I agree with what you say. Here in Nashville, there are some churches that will front the fee for the State ID for the homeless, so that they can look for work. Of course for Carrol’s son, the best situation would be for him to return home and do whatever it takes to clear up the charges. There is a Travelers Aid office in Houston that will buy this person a Greyhound bus ticket back home, if his parents or someone will vouch for him saying he has a place to stay with them when he gets there. Original Birth certificate is the most important item he’ll need in getting a new ID – a photo copy of his birth certificate is usually NOT accepted. He can also get a copy of his Social Security Card in Houston with that original birth certificate, which would help him in getting a State ID.
Many states will issue a state ID card for those who do not drive. You have to come up with the same ID requirements you as you need for a driver’s license, birth certificate, social security, proof of address (can be a shelter or even a drop in center). Some social service agencies will help you obtain these. Here in Illinois the cost is $20, which by the way is twice what a driver’s license costs. Our local alderman in Chicago has the reps from the Secretary of State set up shop in her office to do on the spot state IDs. The fee will be waived for the homeless with a referral letter. Maybe Texas has something similar.
Kevin,
My son is homeless and I am concerned and want to help him. He lives in Houston, Tx. and was recently attacked and his wallet and Drivers License stolen. He has not been able to obtain a photo id since that time and resourses are not available to him without a Photo I.D. His license was in Va. and was revoked because of unpaid fines. He can not get any help from them as he has to come back to Va.
Can you give any suggestions as to how he can get another Id.I don’t know if this is something you can answer without a fee or not.
Thanks,
Carrol